Quality of life comparison
If you lived in South Africa instead of Nicaragua, you would:
Health
see 96.6% more spent on your healthcare
Nicaragua spends $689 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). South Africa spends $1,354 as of 2023.
live 8.8 years less
In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In South Africa, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 5.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Nicaragua has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.1 times more money
Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $3,173 as of 2025, while in South Africa, the GDP per capita is $6,598 as of 2025.
be 6.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Nicaragua, 5.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In South Africa, that number is 32.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 96.7% more likely to die during childbirth
In Nicaragua, approximately 60.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In South Africa, 118.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Nicaragua, approximately 9.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In South Africa, on the other hand, 24.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 27.6% more likely to have internet access
In Nicaragua, approximately 61.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In South Africa, about 78.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Nicaragua spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. South Africa spends 6.0% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 3.1 times more coastline
Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In South Africa, that number is 2,798 km.
Safety
be 3.9 times more likely to be murdered
Nicaragua has a homicide rate of 11.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In South Africa, that number is 43.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 80.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Nicaragua, road accidents kill 13.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In South Africa, they kill 24.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 5.1 times more electricity
Nicaragua uses 641 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. South Africa uses 3,247 kWh as of 2023.
live with 30.5 times more strain on fresh water
Nicaragua withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. South Africa withdraws 68% as of 2022.
Environment
be 23.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Nicaragua, air pollution causes 38.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In South Africa, it causes 47.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.3 times more CO2
Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. South Africa emits 6.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Nicaragua vs. South Africa
South Africa: At a glance
How big is South Africa compared to Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.